Harmonization of Cross-National Studies of Aging to the Health and Retirement Study

Transcription

1 WORKING PAPER Harmonization of Cross-National Studies of Aging to the Health and Retirement Study USER GUIDE, Health Behavior, Version A Serena Wang, Joohong Min, Jinkook Lee RAND Labor & Population WR-861/8 December 2014 This paper series made possible by the NIA funded RAND Center for the Study of Aging (P30AG012815) and the NICHD funded RAND Population Research Center (R24HD050906). RAND working papers are intended to share researchers latest findings and to solicit informal peer review. They have been approved for circulation by RAND Labor and Population but have not been formally edited or peer reviewed. Unless otherwise indicated, working papers can be quoted and cited without permission of the author, provided the source is clearly referred to as a working paper. RAND s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors. RAND is a registered trademark.

2 HARMONIZATION OF CROSS-TIOL STUDIES OF AGING TO THE HEALTH AND RETIREMENT STUDY USER GUIDE Health Behavior Version A Serena Wang Joohong Min Jinkook Lee December 2014 This project is funded by NIA/NIH (R24 AG037866)

3 Table of Contents INTRODUCTION... 6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND OVERVIEW INVENTORY OF MEASURES FOR HEALTH BEHAVIORS The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) The Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) The Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA) The Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) The Chinese Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) The Japanese Study on Aging and Retirement (JSTAR) The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) The Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS) The Mexican Health and Ageing Study (MHAS) METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES Measures for Smoking Behavior Ever Smoke Smoke Now Quantity of Currently Smoked History of smoking Quantity when smoked the most Measures for Drinking Behavior Ever Drink Frequency of Drinking Quantity of Drinks Measures for Physical Activity Vigorous physical activity Moderate physical activity Mild physical activity USING MEASURES CROSS-COUNTRY ALYSIS

4 3.1 Measure of smoking behavior Ever Smoke Smoke now Quantity of currently smoke History of smoking Quantity when smoked the most Measure of drinking behavior Ever Drink Frequency of drinking Quantity of drinking Measure of Physical activities Vigorous Exercise Moderate Exercise Mild Exercise QUESTION CONCORDANCE BY SURVEYS Smoking HRS ELSA SHARE KLoSA LASI CHARLS JSTAR TILDA IFLS Drinking HRS ELSA SHARE Klosa LASI CHARLS JSTAR

5 4.2.8 TILDA IFLS MHAS Physical activity HRS ELSA SHARE Klosa LASI CHARLS JSTAR TILDA IFLS MHAS

6 LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Summary of Smoking Behavior Variables in Each Survey Table 2. Summary of Drinking Variables in Each Survey Table 3. Summary of Physical Exercise Variables in Each Survey Table 4. Frequency of Drinking Variable Comparison Table 5. Quantity of Drinking Variable Comparison Table 6. Vigorous Exercise Variable Comparison Table 7. Moderate Exercise Variable Comparison Table 8. Mile Exercise Variable Comparison Table 9. Question Numbers in Each Survey

7 INTRODUCTION The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) has achieved remarkable scientific success, as demonstrated by an impressive number of users and research studies and publications. Its success has generated substantial interest in collecting similar data as population aging increases around the world. The result has been a number of surveys designed to be comparable with the HRS: the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging (KLoSA), the Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI), the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), the Japanese Study on Aging and Retirement (JSTAR), The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS), and the Mexican Health and Ageing Study (MHAS).. 1 As these surveys have harmonization as a goal, they provide remarkable opportunities for crosscountry studies. The value of comparative analyses, especially regarding lessons resulting from policies adopted elsewhere, is widely recognized. Yet there are only a limited number of empirical studies exploiting such opportunities. This is partly due to the difficulties associated with learning multiple surveys and the policies and institutions of each country. Identifying comparable questions across surveys is the first step toward cross-country analyses. The USC CENTER FOR GLOBAL AGING RESEARCH web site ( provides users a digital library of questions for all these surveys. Its search engines enable users to examine cross-country concordance for each survey question. Using them, researchers can identify all questions related to particular key words or within a domain or a sub- domain. Nevertheless, comparing these questions and evaluating comparability across surveys is still a labor-intensive process. Understanding all the idiosyncratic details in each survey takes still more effort. To reduce time and effort needed for cross-country research, we have prepared a series of domain-specific user guides. These guides are designed to provide researchers with documentation about the concepts, measures, and questions of particular domains in all HRS-family surveys. For each domain, we reviewed all relevant questions across all surveys. These guides expand upon the information found in codebooks, questionnaires, and data descriptions. They also evaluate comparability across surveys and recommendations for harmonized measures that can be exploited for 1 For an overview of these studies, see Lee, J. (2010). Data set for pension and health: Data collection and sharing for policy design, International Social Security Review, 63, (3-4),

8 cross-country analyses. We hope these guides, by helping researchers save time and better understand what can be studied in HRS-family surveys, accelerate scientific advances. This health-behavior user guide focuses on three health behaviors: smoking, drinking, and physical exercise. We chose these three specific health behaviors for this guide because they are known predictors of health risks, and all HRS family of surveys include a series of questions on them. 7

9 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND OVERVIEW This guide summarizes data on health behavior from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and its sister surveys. This includes the 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010 waves of the HRS, 2 the five waves of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA), Waves 1, 2, and 4 of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE, whose Wave 3 is life history survey), all four waves of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA), the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) pilot wave, all three waves of the Japanese Study on Aging and Retirement (JSTAR), the first waves of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) and the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), the 2007 wave of the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS), and the first two waves of the Mexican Health and Ageing Study (MHAS). All of the surveys collected information on common health behaviors, but varied in the spectrum and details of questions asked. We group the health behavior measures into three: smoking behavior, drinking behavior, and physical activity. Smoking behavior All surveys ask whether the respondent ever smoked but differed in time span. Most surveys asked respondents if they had ever smoked in their lifetime, providing comparability. KLoSA asks respondents if they have ever smoked more than five packs of cigarettes (100 cigarettes), meaning it will underestimate prevalence of lifetime smoking relative to their surveys asking if respondents have ever smoked. The surveys differ in type of tobacco products included. HRS, KLoSA, CHARLS, JSTAR, and MHAS only ask about cigarettes. ELSA asks about cigarettes and rollups. SHARE, TILDA, and IFLS also ask about smoking pipes, cigars, and cigarettes. LASI asks about cigarette, bidi, cigar, hookah, chewing tobacco, gutka, and pan masala. All the surveys except ELSA ask respondents how much they currently smoke each day. Again, however, the surveys differ in the types of tobacco products they include: HRS, KLoSA, CHARLS, JSTAR and MHAS only ask about cigarettes, while ELSA, SHARE, TILDA, and IFLS ask about other types of tobacco products. ELSA further differentiates weekend and weekday smoking. All the surveys except ELSA ask several questions about personal smoking history. These include age or year when or number of years since respondents started smoking as well as the age or year when or number of years since respondents stopped smoking. 2 Prior to 2004, HRS provides a document summarizing all the health behavior measures across waves. The document can be found at 8

10 Three surveys, HRS, KLoSA, and MHAS, ask respondents the quantity of cigarettes or packs daily consumed when they most smoked. Drinking behavior HRS, KLoSA, LASI, CHARLS, and MHAS ask respondents whether they ever drank alcohol. ELSA asks respondents whether they did so in the past year, JSTAR asks about the past six months, and SHARE asks about the past three months (and past six months in wave 1). TILDA and IFLS do not ask about any past alcohol consumption. All the surveys, except ELSA wave 1, LASI, IFLS, and TILDA, ask the frequency of drinking when the respondent consumed alcoholic drinks. Such questions differ in answer options for time span and type of drink. Physical activity Except for KLoSA and JSTAR, the surveys ask about vigorous exercise and moderate exercise. They differ in time span and frequency of exercise reported. HRS, ELSA, SHARE and LASI are comparable in offering a measure on frequency of exercise with no specific time frame. CHARLS, TILDA, and IFLS report the number of days of exercise in the past week. HRS, ELSA, CHARLS, TILDA and IFLS ask about mild exercise but differ in time span and frequency measures. This measure is comparable only between HRS and ELSA. 9

11 1. INVENTORY OF MEASURES FOR HEALTH BEHAVIORS This guide provides an overview of health-behavior measures, specifically those on smoking, drinking, and physical activity, and their comparability for several surveys on aging around the world. We have prepared this guide to help researchers understand the comparability of these measures and facilitate cross-country research. The specific surveys we review are the Health and Retirement Study (HRS, 2004 Wave Wave 10), the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA (2002 Wave Wave 5), the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE (2014 Wave Wave 4) 3, the Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA, 2006 Wave Wave 4), the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI, pilot wave 2010), the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS, 2010 Wave 1), the Japanese Study on Aging and Retirement (JSTAR, 2007 Wave Wave 3), the Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA, 2009 Wave 1), the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS, 2007 Wave 4), and the Mexican Health and Ageing Study (MHAS, 2001 Wave Wave 2). In this chapter, we present an overview of the questions each survey asks on smoking behavior, drinking behavior, and physical activity. In the second chapter, we explore methodological issues regarding these, including variations in how the questions are asked. In the third chapter, we explore more directly comparability of questions across surveys and issues in using measures for cross-country analysis. The fourth chapter discusses concordance among surveys by presenting text of individual questions from each survey. 1.1 The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) Smoking Behavior The HRS asks several measures of smoking status. It includes two questions current smoking: whether smoke now and quantity smoked. It also asks several questions about smoking history, including whether ever smoke, when respondents started or stopped smoking, and the quantity of cigarettes or packs smoked at peak daily consumption. These questions have been asked of new respondents in all subsequent waves Drinking Behavior HRS survey asks detailed questions on alcohol consumption. These include whether respondents ever drank, quantity of alcohol consumed, and the number of days per week consuming drinks in the last three months. 3 SHARE wave 3 is the life history survey 10

12 1.1.3 Physical Activity The HRS asks respondents about exercise behavior in several ways. Since 2004, it has asked three questions about physical activity, including whether vigorous, moderate, or mild physical activity has occurred daily, more than once weekly, once weekly, one to three times monthly, or never. Vigorous activities include activities such as running or jogging, swimming, cycling, aerobics or gym workout, tennis, or digging with a spade or shovel. Moderate activities include gardening, cleaning the car, walking at a moderate pace, dancing, and floor or stretching exercises. Mild activities include vacuuming, laundry, and home repairs. 1.2 The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) Smoking Behavior ELSA asks respondents whether they have ever smoked cigarettes. This question does not distinguish other types of tobacco. Another question on current smoking status distinguishes among types of tobacco, including cigarettes and roll-up. Regarding current daily smoking, ELSA distinguishes by weekend and weekday. In other words, it asks about weekday cigarettes, weekend cigarettes, weekday roll-ups, and weekend roll-ups. It also asks quantity of roll-up tobacco consumed in grams or ounces Drinking Behavior ELSA questions on drinking behavior differ by wave. Wave 1 asks only in the core survey whether the respondent has taken an alcoholic drink in the past 12 months. Starting in wave 2, the survey asks in the self-completion portion whether respondents drink any alcohol, frequency of drinking, and quantity of drinks. Specifically, waves 2 and 3 ask respondents about the day in the past week they drank most and then about consumption of pints, large cans or bottles, or small cans or bottles of normal beer; pints, or large cans or bottles of strong beer; glasses of spirits or liquor; glasses of sherry or martini; glasses of wine; and bottles or cans of alcopops. The wave 4 self-completion survey asks respondents, During the last seven days, how many drinks did you have? It then asks separately the number of measures of spirits, glasses of wine, and pints of beer the respondent consumed Physical Activity ELSA asks respondents whether they engaged in vigorous, moderate, or mild physical activity and if doing so more than once weekly, once weekly, one to three times monthly, or hardly ever or never. 11

13 ELSA uses a slightly different scale than used in the HRS, not allowing respondents to identify daily activity, while allowing answers of hardly ever or never. ELSA does not ask physical activity questions of proxy respondents in waves 1 and 2 but does so for wave 3 and subsequent waves. 1.3 The Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) Smoking Behavior Unlike the HRS, the SHARE asks not only about smoking of cigarettes, also of cigars, cigarillos, and pipes daily for at least one year. In asking about quantities, SHARE asks separately about cigarettes, pipe, and cigars or cigarillos. It also asks respondents their age when starting and stopping smoking Drinking Behavior SHARE questions about drinking behavior different by wave. In wave 1, the SHARE asks respondents whether they had any alcoholic drink in the last six months. In wave 2 and subsequent waves, it asks about the past three months. Regarding the frequency of drinking, the SHARE asks respondents whether they drink almost every day, five or six days weekly, three or four days weekly, once or twice weekly, once or twice monthly, less than once monthly, or not at all. It also asks respondents the number of drinks they ve had on days they drank Physical Activity The SHARE asks only about vigorous and moderate physical activity; it does not ask about mild physical activity question. It asks respondents whether they undertake vigorous or moderate activity more than once weekly, once weekly, one to three times monthly, or hardly ever or never. 1.4 The Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing (KLoSA) Smoking Behavior The KLoSA asks whether respondents have ever smoked cigarettes but defines having ever smoked as having consumed more than 5 packs of cigarettes (100 cigarettes). It does not ask about other types of tobaccos in the ever-smoked question. It also asks about current daily number of cigarettes smoked. KLoSA, along with HRS and MHAS, is one of the few surveys that ask about peak lifetime tobacco consumption. It also asks respondent their age when starting or stopping smoking Drinking Behavior 12

14 The KLoSA asks respondents whether they have ever drunk alcohol and whether they still do so. Frequencies it asks are none or less once monthly, once monthly, two to three times monthly, once weekly, two to three times weekly, four to five times weekly, daily, and more than twice daily. The KLoSA asks these questions separately for So-ju (Korean liquor), beer, Makgeolli (rice wine), whisky, and wine Physical Activity The KLoSA asks respondents whether they worked out more than once weekly and, if so, how often. It does not ask about vigorous, moderate, or mild levels of activity. 1.5 The Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) Smoking Behavior The LASI asks several questions about smoking. It asks whether respondents have ever smoked cigarettes, bidi, cigars, or hookah, or whether they have ever chewed tobacco, gutka, or pan masala. Regarding quantities, the LASI first asks the amount of grams of tobacco consumed daily, weekly, and monthly, then the number of times tobacco was consumed daily, weekly, or monthly, and finally the number of cigarettes and the number of packs smoked in a day. It also asks respondents their age when starting or stopping smoking Drinking Behavior LASI asks respondents whether they have ever drunk alcohol and whether they still do so. It asks respondents how many drinks they had in the past 30 days Physical Activity The LASI asks about vigorous and moderate physical activity but does not ask about mild physical activity question. It asks whether respondents engaged in physical activity daily, more than once weekly, once week, one to three times monthly, or hardly ever or never. 1.6 The Chinese Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) Smoking Behavior The CHARLS asks respondents whether they have ever smoked cigarettes (including self-rolled), cigars, or pipe tobacco, as well as whether they have ever chewed tobacco. It also asks the number of cigarette 13

15 smoked daily now or when smoking. Finally, it asks respondents their age when they began or stopped smoking Drinking Behavior The CHARLS asks respondents whether they have never had an alcoholic drink, drink less than once monthly, or drink more than once monthly. Regarding frequency of drinking, it also asks whether respondents drink less than once monthly, once monthly, two to three times monthly, once weekly, two to three times weekly, four to five times weekly, once daily, or more than twice daily. The CHARLS asks these questions separately for liquor, beer, and wine or rice wine. Regarding quantities, it asks respondents how many bottles of beer they drank or how many liang (50 cc) of wine or liquor they drank Physical Activity The CHARLS asks respondents whether they engage in vigorous, moderate, or mild exercise for at least ten minutes and, if so, how many days they did so in the past week. 1.7 The Japanese Study on Aging and Retirement (JSTAR) Smoking Behavior The JSTAR asks respondents whether they smoke now, smoked in the past but have quit, or never smoked regularly. Regarding quantity of smoking, it asks the average daily number of packs of cigarettes smoked. It also asks respondents their age when they started or quit smoking Drinking Behavior The JSTAR asks respondents whether they have had an alcoholic drink in the past six months, with the exception of five cities survey in wave 2. It asks respondents whether they drank daily, five to six times weekly, three to four times weekly, once or twice weekly, several times per month, or hardly ever or never. It asks respondents the number of times they drank beer, shochu, sake, whiskey, and wine Physical Activity JSTAR asks respondents on self-completion questionnaires how much time they engage in exercise on weekends and weekdays. 14

16 1.8 The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA) Smoking Behavior TILDA asks respondents whether they have ever smoked cigarettes, cigars or cigarillos, or a pipe daily for a period of at least one year. It also asks respondents how many times on average they smoke or smoked each of these. Finally, it asks respondents their age when starting or stopping smoking Drinking Behavior TILDA does not ask questions about drinking Physical Activity TILDA asks respondents how often they engaged in vigorous, moderate, and mild exercise in the past week for at least ten minutes continuously. It also asks respondents the number of days they engaged in such activities. 1.9 The Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS) Smoking Behavior The IFLS asks respondents whether they have ever smoked cigarettes (including self-rolled), a pipe, and cigars, as well as whether they have ever chewed tobacco. It also asks the quantities of each type consumed. Finally, it asks respondents their age when starting or stopping smoking Drinking Behavior The IFLS did not ask respondents about drinking Physical Activity The IFLS asked respondents whether they engaged in vigorous, moderate, or mild exercise for at least ten minutes continuously in the past week, and, if so, on how many days they did so The Mexican Health and Ageing Study (MHAS) Smoking Behavior The MHAS asks respondents whether they have ever smoked cigarettes. It does not ask specifically about other types of tobacco. Regarding quantity of smoking, it asks the number of cigarettes or packs smoked daily. It also asks respondents their age when starting or quitting smoking. 15

17 Drinking Behavior MHAS asks respondents whether they have ever had a drink, and specifically whether they ever drink any alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, liquor, or pulque. It also asks respondents their weekly frequency of drinking the past three months, and the number of days they had four or more drinks on one occasion Physical Activity MHAS asks respondents whether, on average, they have exercised or done hard physical work at least three times weekly. It does not ask about other types of physical activity. 16

18 2. METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES As the previous section showed, each survey asks many similar questions about smoking, drinking, and physical activity, but these questions often have subtle or significant differences. In this section, we summarize methodological similarities and differences in available health-behavior questions across various surveys. Although all the surveys collected information on common health behaviors, their questions and answer categories vary by survey. We summarize below differences and similarities among surveys regarding smoking behavior, drinking behavior, and physical activity. 2.1 Measures for Smoking Behavior Ever Smoke All surveys ask whether respondents ever smoked, but differ in questions on time span and type of tobacco products. Table 1 summarizes these differences. Most surveys ask respondents whether they have ever smoked. The SHARE and the TILDA qualify this by asking respondents whether they ever smoked daily for at least one year, while the KLoSA does so by asking whether the respondent has ever consumed five packs of cigarettes. HRS, ELSA, MHAS and KLoSA do not ask specifically about tobacco consumption other than cigarettes. JSTAR asks about tobacco in general without specifying type of tobacco products. The SHARE, CHARLS and IFLS ask about cigars, cigarillos or pipes, while the LASI asks about cigarettes, bidis, cigars, hookahs, chewing tobacco, gutka, and pan masala Smoke Now All surveys ask whether the respondent is currently smoking, typically requiring a simple yes or no answer. The LASI asks respondents whether they chew or sniff, smoke, or quit tobacco. JSTAR asks respondents whether they smoke now, smoked in the past but quit, or never smoked regularly Quantity of Currently Smoked All surveys ask quantity of current tobacco consumption, with some variations. Most surveys ask about daily consumption, but the ELSA differentiates between weekends and weekdays. The LASI also allows respondents to specify daily, weekly, or monthly consumption. The surveys also differ in questions regarding types of tobacco consumption. The HRS, KLoSA, CHARLS, JSTAR, and MHAS only ask about cigarettes. The ELSA asks about cigarette and rollup consumption. The SHARE, TILDA, and IFLS ask about pipe tobacco, cigar, and cigarette consumption. The LASI asks about cigarette, bidi, cigar, hookah, chewing tobacco, gutka, and pan masala consumption. 17

19 2.1.4 History of smoking All the surveys except the ELSA ask about smoking history, including the age, year when or number of years since respondents started or stopped smoking Quantity when smoked the most consumption. HRS, KLoSA, and MHAS ask the quantity of cigarettes or packs smoked at the peak of 18

20 Ever smoke: Time Span Ever smoke: Type Smoke now Quantity- Time Span Quantitytype History of smoking Smoke the most Table 1. Summary of Smoking Behavior Variables in Each Survey HRS ELSA SHARE KLoSA LASI CHARLS JSTAR TILDA IFLS MHAS Daily for a Daily for a period of at Ever Ever period of at Ever Ever Ever Ever regularly Ever Ever least one least one year year Cigarettes. Do not include pipes or cigars Cigarettes. Do not include pipes or cigars Cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos or a pipe More than 5 packs of cigarettes (100 cigarettes) Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No In a day Weekend Cigarettes or packs 1.Age/year start, 2.Age/year stop, 3. # years Cigarettes or packs or weekday 1. Cigarettes; 2. Roll-up In a day 1.Cigarettes; 2.Pipe; 3.Cigars or cigarillos 1.Age stop 2. # years In a day Cigarettes or packs Cigarette, bidi, cigar, hookah, or chewing tobacco, gutka, pan masala 1. Yes, I chew or sniff tobacco; 2. Yes, I smoke tobacco; 3. No, I quit 1.Age, 2.Year start, 1.Age start, 3.Age, year 2.Age stop stop Cigarettes or packs Chewed tobacco, pipe, selfrolled cigarettes, cigars Yes/no Any tobacco 1. Yes, I smoke now; 2. I smoke in the past, quit now; 3.No, I never smoked regularly Chewed cigarettes, tobacco, pipe, cigars, self-rolled cigarillos or cigarettes, a pipe cigars Cigarettes. Do not include pipes or cigars Yes/No Yes/No Yes/No Given: In a day In a day In a day In a day In a day day/week/month 1.Tabacco [Cigarette, bidi, cigar, hookah]; 2.smokeless Cigarettes tobacco [ chewing tobacco, gutka, pan masala] 1.Age start 2.Age stop Cigarettes or packs 1.Age start, 2.Age stop 1.Cigarettes; 2.Pipe; 3.Cigars or cigarillos 1.Age stop, 2. # years 1.Chewing tobacco; 2.pipe; 3.Self-rooled cigarettes;4.ciga rettes/cigars 1.Age start, 2.Age stop Cigarettes or packs Age start Cigarettes or packs 19

21 1.2 Measures for Drinking Behavior Ever Drink All the surveys except TILDA and IFLS ask respondents whether they have drunk alcohol but differ in time spans they consider. Many consider lifetime consumption. JSTAR asks about consumption in the past six months and in wave 2 only of two cities. The ELSA asks respondents whether they drank in the past 12 months. SHARE wave 1 asks about consumption in the past six months, while SHARE waves 2 and 4 ask about the past three months. Table 2 summarizes the differences Frequency of Drinking Except for TILDA, LASI, IFLS, and ELSA wave 1, all studies ask the frequency of drinking when the respondent consumed alcoholic drinks. They differ in three ways: time span, option of answers, and type of drinks considered. The HRS, SHARE waves 2 and 4, and MHAS ask about consumption in the last three months while ELSA waves 2, 3, and 4 asks about consumption in the past seven days. SHARE wave 1 and JSTAR use the time span of 6 months. The KLoSA and CHARLS use the time span of last year. The HRS, ELSA waves 2, 3, and 4, and MHAS ask the number of weekly days of consumption. SHARE, KLoSA, CHARLS, and JSTAR offer varying category answers on frequencies. Most surveys ask about any alcoholic beverages consumed, but KLoSA and CHARLS ask about specific drink types Quantity of Drinks Except for TILDA, ELSA wave 1, SHARE wave 1, and IFLS, each survey asks number of drinks consumed daily. Again, however, there are differences in time span and type of drinks considered. For time span, HRS, SHARE waves 2 and 4, and MHAS refer to the last three months. ELSA refers to the last seven days, but in waves 2 and 3 asks about the day of greatest alcohol consumption. ELSA wave 3 asks number of drinks during last seven days. KLoSA and CHARLS refer to last year. LASI refers to the last 30 days. The HRS, SHARE waves 2 and 4, LASI, and MHAS do not specify types of drinks, but ELSA waves 2, 3, and 4, KLoSA, CHARLS, and JSTAR do. 20

22 Table 2. Summary of Drinking Variables in Each Survey HRS ELSA SHARE W1 W2, W3 W4, W5 W1 W3, W4 KLoSA LASI CHARLS JSTAR w1,w2(2 cities),w3 w2 5cities TILDA IFLS MHAS Ever drink: time span Ever Last 12 Same w1 Same w1 Last 6 months Last 3 months Ever Ever Ever Last 6 months Ever months Frequency Last 3 : time months span # days Frequency per : answer week Frequency Any : type alcoholic Quantity : Last 3 time span months Quantity: type Any alcoholic Last 7 days # days per week Any alcoholic Last 7 days # days per week Any alcoholic Last 7 days Last 7 (drank most) days/# per week 1.Normal beer, 2.Strong beer, 3.Spirits, 4.sherry/ martini, 5.Wine, 6.Alcoholic Soft drink 1. Beer, 2. Spirits 3. Wine, Last 6 months 1 Almost every day; 2.Five or six days a week; 3.Three or four days; 4.Once or twice a week; 5.Once or twice a month; 6.Less than once a month; 7.Not at all in last 6 months Any alcoholic Last 3 months Last year: month or week 1 Almost every 1.None or less day, once a month, 2.Five or six days a 2.Once a month, week; times a 3.Three or four month days; 4.Once a week, 4.Once or twice a times a week; week, 5.once or twice a times a month; week, 6.Less than once a 7.Once a day 8. month; more than twice a 7. Not at all in last day 3 month Any alcoholic Last 3 months Any alcoholic 1. So-ju (korean liquor), 2. Beer, 3. M-akgeolli (rice wine), 4. Whisky, 5. Wine Last year: how many glasses drink at a time 1. So-ju(Korean liquor), 2. Beer, 3.Makgeolli(rice wine), 4. Whisky and other liquors, 5. Wine last 30 days Last year: month or week 1.None or less once a month, 2.Once a month times a month 4.Once a week, times a week, times a week, 7.Once a day 8.More than twice a day 1.Liquor, 2. Beer, 3. Wine or rice wine 1. In the last year, 2. Last time you drink 1.Liquor, any 2.Beer, alcoholic 3.Wine or rice wine Last 6 months 1. Every day, days per week, days per week, days per week, 5.several times per month, 6.not at all Any alcoholic Last 6 months (not ask in w2 5cities) 1.Beer, 2.Shochu, 3.Sake, 4.Whiskey, 5.Wine (not ask in w2 5cities) Last 3 month # days per week Any alcoholi c Last 3 month Any alcoholi c

23 2.3 Measures for Physical Activity All surveys ask about physical activity. Most surveys ask different types of physical activities, including vigorous, moderate, or mild, but the KLoSA and JSTAR do not. The KLoSA asks whether respondents worked out more than once a week and the frequency and duration of exercise. The JSTAR surveys minutes of exercise during the weekday and weekend. Surveys also differ in their questions about time span and frequency of exercise. Table 3 summarizes the differences Vigorous physical activity All the surveys except the KLoSA and the JSTAR ask about vigorous physical activities but differ in questions on time span and frequency of such exercise. For time span, most surveys do not ask specific time span of exercise. TILDA and IFLS ask about exercise in the last 7 days and CHARLS asks about it in a usual week. TILDA, CHARLS, and IFLS also ask whether the exercise was at least 10 continuous minutes. The MHAS asks about exercise in the past two years. The HRS, ELSA, SHARE, and LASI all ask the frequency of exercise using identical categories. TILDA, CHARLS, and IFLS ask number of days exercise per week while the MHAS only asks whether respondent exercise three or more times per week Moderate physical activity Questions on moderate physical activity also differ on time span and frequency. The KLoSA, JSTAR, and MHAS do not survey moderate physical activity. Most surveys asking about such activity do not specify the time span, while TILDA, CHARLS, and IFLS refer to the last 7 days. The HRS, ELSA, SHARE, and LASI all ask the frequency of such exercise using nearly identical categories. TILDA, CHARLS, and IFLS ask number of days per week for such exercise Mild physical activity The HRS, ELSA, CHARLS, TILDA, and IFLS ask about mild physical activity. Here, too, questions differ on time span and frequency of exercise. Most surveys do not ask the time span of such exercise while TILDA, CHARLS, and IFLS reference the last 7 days. The HRS and ELSA survey the frequency of exercise using identical categories while TILDA, CHARLS, and IFLS ask number of days per week for such exercise. 22

24 Table 3. Summary of Physical Exercise Variables in Each Survey Exercise HRS ELSA SHARE KLoSA LASI CHARLS JSTAR TILDA IFLS MHAS Vigorous Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Moderate Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Mild Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Time span Answers Not specific Not specific Not specific Not specific 1.More than once a week, 2.Once a week, times a month, 4.Hardly ever or never, 7.Every day 1.More than once a week, 2.Once a week, times a month, 4.Hardly ever or never 1.More than once a week, 2.Once a week, times a month, 4. Hardly ever or never 1.Everyday, 2.More than once a week, 3.Once a week, times a month, 5.Harly ever or never In a usual week, at least 10 mins # days per week In last 7 days, at least 10 mins # days per week In last 7 days, at least 10 mins # days per week Last 2 years 3 or more times a week: yes or no 23

25 3. USING MEASURES CROSS-COUNTRY ALYSIS Having summarized the approaches the surveys take to health-behavior questions, in this section we propose harmonized measures of health behavior that can be used for cross-country analysis. Several tables summarize our comparison, where C indicates comparability with the HRS measure, C2 indicates another set of comparable measures, D means Different, and means Not asked. The exact questions wording are in section Measure of smoking behavior Ever Smoke All surveys ask respondents about previous smoking. They differ in time span and type of tobacco products the respondent smoked. For time span, most surveys ask respondents whether they ever smoked, but the SHARE and TILDA ask respondents whether they smoked daily for at least one year, the JSTAR asks them whether they ever smoked regularly, and the KLoSA asks respondents whether they ever smoked more than five packs. As a result, the measures of previous smoking behavior from the SHARE, TILDA, and JSTAR might be under-estimates due to shorter time spans considered and the KLoSA may yield an underestimate due to its higher threshold. The HRS, ELSA and MHAS only consider the cigarettes and not other types of tobacco while other surveys include different types of tobaccos. As a result, the HRS, ELSA, and MHAS may underestimate past tobacco use Smoke now All surveys ask respondents whether they currently smoke cigarettes. Most surveys ask for a simple yes or no answer, but LASI and JSTAR collect further details by offering multiple response categories. Despite this variation, this measure is comparable across all countries Quantity of currently smoke All surveys ask the quantity currently smoked, with some variations in time span and types of tobaccos. Most surveys ask about consumption in one day. ELSA differentiates between weekends and weekdays. LASI allows respondents to specify consumption in a day, week, or month. The surveys also differ in questions about the types of tobacco consumed: The HRS, KLoSA, CHARLS, JSTAR, and MHAS only ask about cigarettes, while the ELSA, SHARE, TILDA, and IFLS ask about different type of tobaccos. To calculate the quantity currently smoked, the amounts will be summed up for all types. The measure 24

26 for HRS, KLoSA, CHARLS, JSTAR, and MHAS might yield underestimates relative to the other surveys due to their focus on cigarettes History of smoking All the surveys except the ELSA ask several questions about smoking history, including when respondents started or stopped smoking. This measure is comparable across surveys asked Quantity when smoked the most Only three surveys, the HRS, KLoSA, and MHAS, ask respondent about peak cigarette consumption. This question is comparable across these three surveys. 3.2 Measure of drinking behavior Ever Drink All the studies except TILDA and IFLS ask whether the respondent has ever drunk alcohol but differ in time span. Most surveys ask respondents whether they ever drank. The ELSA asks about consumption in the past 12 months, the JSTAR and wave 1 of the SHARE asks about the past six months, and waves 2 and 4 of the SHARE ask about the past three months Frequency of drinking All studies except the ELSA wave 1, LASI, IFLS, and TILDA ask the frequency of drinking when the respondent consumed alcoholic drinks. However, there are significant variations in time span, option of answers, and type of drink. For time span, the HRS, SHARE waves 2 and 4, and MHAS specify the last three months. ELSA waves 2, 3, and 4 use the time span of the last seven day. SHARE wave 1 and the JSTAR use the time span of 6 months. KLoSA and CHARLS use the time span of last year. The HRS, ELSA waves 2, 3, and 4, and MHAS ask respondents the number of days they drink per week, while the SHARE, KLOSA CHARLS, and JSTAR offer the respondents answer categories. For different type of drinks, most surveys except KLoSA and CHARLS refer to any alcoholic beverages. Table 4 summarizes comparability of variables on frequency of respondent drinking. Measures in the HRS and MHAS are comparable in asking about number of days of consumption in an average week over the past three months. We consider the measure in ELSA waves 2 through 5asking about the number of days of consumption in the past seven to be comparable as well, though it may yield an 25

27 underestimate relative to the HRS and MHAS. The measures in the SHARE, KLoSA, CHARLS and JSTAR are also comparable, given their similar answer categories. Table 4. Frequency of Drinking Variable Comparison HRS Frequency: last 3 time span months ELSA SHARE W1 W2,3,4,5 W1 W2, W4 last 7 days last 6 months last 3 months KLoSA LASI CHARLS JSTAR TILDA IFLS MHAS last year: month or week last year: month or week last 6 months last 3 month Frequency: # days answer per week # days per week 1 Almost every day; days a week; days a week; 4.Once or twice a week; 5.once or twice a month; 6.Less than once a month; 7.Not at all in last 6 months 1 Almost every day, days a week; days a week; 4.Once or twice a week; 5.once or twice a month; 6.Less than once a month; 7. Not at all in last 3 month 1.none or less once a month, 2.once a month,3.2-3 times a month 4.once a week, times a week, times a week, 7.once a day 8. more than twice a day 1.none or less 1. Every day, once a month, days 2.once a per week, month, days times a month per week, 4.once a week, days times a per week, week, several times a week, times per 7.once a day 8. month, more than 6.not at all twice a day # days per week Frequency: any type alcoholic any any alcoholic alcoholic any alcoholic 1. So-ju (korean liquor), 2.Beer, 3.Makgeolli (rice wine), 4.whisky, 5.wine 1.liquor, 2.beer, 3.wine or rice wine any alcoholic any alcoholic Quantity of drinking Most studies ask respondents about consumption, but ELSA wave 1, SHARE wave 1, IFLS, and TILDA do not. There are also differences in how surveys count drinks, the time span they consider, and the type of drink they consider. To count drinks, ELSA waves 2 and 3 asks respondents the number of drinks they had on the day they drank the most while other surveys refer to an average, typically daily. For time span, HRS, SHARE waves 2 and 4, and MHAS refer to the last three months. ELSA refers to the last seven days, but in waves 2 and 3 asks about the day of most consumption. KLoSA and CHARLS refer to the last year while LASI refers to the last 30 days. HRS, SHARE waves 2 and 4, LASI, and MHAS do not specify types of drink, while ELSA wave 2 through 5, KLoSA, CHARLS, and JSTAR do so. Altogether, we consider quantity of alcohol consumption variables to be comparable in the HRS, SHARE waves 2 and 4, LASI, and MHAS, although LASI considers a shorter time span for daily consumption and may therefore yield an underestimate relative to the others. The quantity of alcohol 26

28 consumption measures in ELSA waves 2 and 4, KLoSA, CHARLS and JSTAR, have different time span and ask different type of alcoholic. The measure among these surveys is similar but not comparable. Table 5 summarizes the measures on quantity of drinking and their comparability. Table 5. Quantity of Drinking Variable Comparison ELSA SHARE Average quantity HRS On the days Time span last 3 month W1 W2, W3 W4, W5 W1 W2, W4 KLoSA LASI CHARLS JSTAR TILDA IFLS MHAS The day on which you drank the most N/A last 7 days (drank most) On that day last 7 days N/A In a single day last 3 months At a time on average On the days last year: how last 30 many glasses days drink at a time The last time you drank In the last year, last time you drink Per day Per day last 6 months last 3 month Quantity: type any alcoholic 1.Normal beer, 2.Strong beer, 1.Beer, 3.Spirits, 2.spirits 4.sherry/ 3.Wine, martini, 5.Wine, 6.Alcoholic soft drink 1. So-ju (korean liquor), 2. Beer, any 3. Makgeolli alcoholic (rice wine), 4. whisky and other liquors, 5. wine any alcoholic 1.liquor, 2.beer, 3.wine or rice wine 1.beer, 2.shochu, 3.sake, 4.whiskey, 5.wine any alcoholic Crosscountry C D C C C C D C C C: comparable; : not asked; D: different 27

29 3.2 Measure of Physical activities Vigorous Exercise All the surveys except the KLoSA and JSTAR ask about vigorous exercise but differ in the time span and frequencies they consider. Most surveys do not specify time span, but TILDA and IFLS ask about vigorous exercise in the last 7 days, the CHARLS asks about it in a usual week, while the MHAS asks about it in the last two years. The CHARLS, TILDA and IFLS also specify whether the duration of the exercise was at least 10 continuous minutes. Regarding frequency of exercise, the HRS, ELSA, SHARE and LASI use nearly identical categories, while the CHARLS, TILDA, and IFLS ask number of days per week. The MHAS only asks whether respondent exercise three or more times weekly. We consider the measures on vigorous exercise to be comparable among HRS, ELSA, SHARE and LASI. The measures on vigorous exercise in the CHARLS, TILDA and IFLS are also comparable to each other. Table 6 summarizes the comparability of these measures. Table 6. Vigorous Exercise Variable Comparison Exercise HRS ELSA SHARE KLoSA LASI CHARLS JSTAR TILDA IFLS MHAS in last in a usual in last 7 Vigorous: 7 days, not week, at days, at last 2 time not specific not specific not specific at least specific least 10 least 10 years span 10 mins mins mins Vigorous: frequenc y 1.more than once a week, 2.once a week, times a month, 4.hardly ever or never, 7.every day 1.more than once a week, 2.once a week, times a month, 4.hardly ever or never 1.more than once a week, 2.once a week, times a month, 4. hardly ever or never 1.everyday, 2.more than once a week, 3.Once a week, times a month, 5.Harly ever or never # days per week # days per week # days per week 3 or more times a week: yes or no Crosscountry C C C C C2 C2 C2 D C: comparable of frequency; C2: comparable of days; : not asked; D: different Moderate Exercise The measures on moderate exercise also differ in time span and frequency of exercise reported. These measures are comparable among HRS, ELSA, SHARE and LASI, which ask about the same time 28

30 span and use nearly identical frequency of exercise categories. Another comparison among CHARLS, TILDA and IFLS is also possible because of the similarities in time span and number of days reported. Table 7 summarizes comparability among these measures. Table 7. Moderate Exercise Variable Comparison Exercise HRS ELSA SHARE KLoSA LASI CHARLS JSTAR TILDA IFLS MHAS Moderate: time span not specific not specific not specific not specific in a usual week, at least 10 mins in last 7 days, at least 10 mins in last 7 days, at least 10 mins answers 1.more than once a week, 2.once a week, times a month, 4.hardly ever or never, 7.every day 1.more than once a week, 2.once a week, times a month, 4.hardly ever or never 1.more than once a week, 2.once a week, times a month, 4. hardly ever or never 1.everyday, 2.more than once a week, 3.once a week, times a month, 5.hardly ever or never # days per week # days per week # days per week Crosscountry C C C C C2 C2 C2 C: comparable of frequency; C2: comparable of days; : Not asked Mild Exercise Fewer surveys ask about mild exercise. Among those that do, there are differences in time span and frequency of exercise reported. This measure is comparable among HRS and ELSA because they consider the same time span and nearly identical frequency categories. Another comparison is possible among CHARLS, TILDA and IFLS because of the similarities in time span and number of days reported. Table 8 summarizes the comparability on these variables. 29

31 Table 8. Mild Exercise Variable Comparison Exercise HRS ELSA SHARE KLoSA LASI CHARLS JSTAR TILDA IFLS MHAS in a usual in last 7 in last 7 Mild: week, at days, at days, at not specific not specific time span least 10 least 10 least 10 mins mins mins answers 1.more than once a week, 2.once a week, times a month, 4.hardly ever or never, 7.every day 1.more than once a week, 2.once a week, times a month, 4.hardly ever or never # days per week # days per week # days per week Crosscountry C C C2 C2 C2 C: comparable of frequency; C2: comparable of days; : Not asked 30

32 4. QUESTION CONCORDANCE BY SURVEYS To facilitate the cross-country comparisons, this section lists out all health behavior question numbers and texts in each survey. At the end of this section, Table 9 lists the question numbers in each survey. 4.1 Smoking HRS LC116: Have you ever smoked cigarettes? (By smoking we mean more than 100 cigarettes in your lifetime. Do not include pipes or cigars) Answer: 1. Yes; 5. No LC117: Do you smoke cigarettes now? Answer: 1. Yes; 5. No LC118: About how many cigarettes or packs do you usually smoke in a day now? LC119: About how many cigarettes or packs do you usually smoke in a day now? (This question refers to cigarette smoking only. If respondent smokes cigars or pipes, enter the type and amount smoked in an F2 comment) Answer: Cigarettes per day; Or Packs per day ELSA HeSmk: Have you ever smoked cigarettes? Answer: 1. Yes; 2. No HESka: Do you smoke cigarettes at all nowadays? (If has ever smoked cigarettes: HeSmk = 1) Answer: 1. Yes; 2. No HECig: Do you smoke cigarettes or roll ups? (If smokes cigarettes at all nowadays: HESka = 1) Answer: 1. Cigarettes; 2. Roll ups; 3. Both cigarettes and roll-ups 31

33 HeSkb: About how many cigarettes a day do you usually smoke on weekdays? (If smokes cigarettes or cigarettes and roll-ups: HECig = 1 OR 3; If range given and can t estimate, enter mid-point; if less than one a day, enter 0) Answer: Range 0 to 997 HeSkc: About how many cigarettes a day do you usually smoke at weekends? (If range given and can t estimate, enter mid-point; If less than one a day, enter 0) (If smokes roll-ups or both cigarettes and roll-ups: HECig = 2 OR 3) Answer: Range 0 to 997 HeTba: How much tobacco do you normally smoke on a weekday? Answer: 1. Grams; 2. Ounces HETbb: How much tobacco do you normally smoke on a weekday? Answer: Range 0 to 997 HeTbc: How much tobacco do you normally smoke a day at weekends? Answer: 1. Grams; 2. Ounces HETbd: How much tobacco do you normally smoke a day at weekends? Answer: Range 0 to SHARE BR001_: Have you ever smoked cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos or a pipe daily for a period of at least year? Answer: 1. Yes; 5. No one BR002_ : Do you smoke at the present time? Answer: 1. Yes; 5. No, I have stopped BR005_: What [do/did] [you] [smoke/smoke before you stopped]? 32